The trial for a mother accused of attacking her daughter's teacher is expected to continue this week in Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Francis J. Fornelli's courtroom.

Victoria M. Morrison, 32, of 1027 Ridge Ave., Sharpsville, is charged with aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and disorderly conduct. The charges stem from an alleged attack on her daughter's sixth grade teacher, Lewis A. Rosa, in his Sharpsville Middle School classroom on Feb. 23.

Mrs. Morrison is expected to testify that she "never touched a finger on Mr. Rosa," defense attorney J. Wesley Rowden said during his opening statement to jurors. What happened will depend on who is telling the story, the Meadville lawyer said.

Rosa, 58, testified Wednesday that on the day of the alleged attack, Mrs. Morrison's daughter passed a note, describing Rosa as "very rude" and expressing hope that he would retire before her brother entered the sixth grade.

In December 1999, Rosa, who is now retired, put his hand on Mrs. Morrison's daughter for fiddling with her hair, Rowden said. That upset Mrs. Morrison, who asked for a conference with Rosa, but spoke with the school guidance counselor instead, Rowden said.

After receiving the note on Feb. 23, Rosa took the girl into the hallway to remind her of the classroom policy not to pass notes, the teacher testified.

Fifteen minutes later, the girl complained of a headache and Rosa sent her to the nurse's office, he said.

There, the girl called her mother, crying that she needed to go home, Rowden said.

Assistant Mercer County District Attorney Neal McEwen said Mrs. Morrison arrived at the school unannounced and abruptly. However, Rowden said, she acted "as a mother trying to find out what was going on with her daughter."

Rosa said Mrs. Morrison opened his classroom door and yelled: "Rosa, get out here now."

"I had 27 children in there, and I was not going to talk to her in that tone of voice," Rosa said.

Rosa said he pressed an emergency button to alert the school's main office of trouble. Standing in the doorway, Mrs. Morrison hit Rosa's chest several times and pulled on his shirt, he testified. A student also testified that she saw Mrs. Morrison poke Rosa in the chest.

Rosa said the principal and guidance counselor pulled Mrs. Morrison away from him and got Rosa to sit down. Rosa said he felt a pain after the attack because his chest was sensitive as a result of previous heart surgery. He said his chest still "'feels like pinching needles."

Mrs. Morrison has been released on her own recognizance.